Basketball Game Preview: Nucla Mustangs vs. Dove Creek Bulldogs

Nucla hasn't had much luck against Dove Creek recently, but that could start to change on Saturday. Both will face off at 4:00 p.m. without much rest having both just played. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.

Dove Creek is hoping to do what Telluride couldn't on Friday: put an end to Nucla's winning streak, which now stands at five games. Nucla blew past Telluride 61-15. The Mustangs have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won five games by 41 points or more this season.

Nucla got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Darcy Bray out in front who went 6 for 12 on her way to 15 points in addition to six rebounds and four steals. The dominant performance also gave Bray a new career-high in assists (two). Another player making a difference was Kendra McCluer, who posted 15 points and seven boards.

Nucla smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 19 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in 23 consecutive contests dating back to last season.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Dove Creek, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Saturday. They took their matchup on Friday with ease, bagging a 46-19 win over Monticello. That 27 point margin sets a new team best for the Bulldogs this season.

Dove Creek pushed their record up to 4-3 with the victory, which was their eighth straight at home dating back to last season. Those victories came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 28.3 points per game. As for Nucla, their win bumped their record up to 7-1.

Things could have been worse for Nucla, but things could have been a whole lot better as they took a 47-32 loss to Dove Creek in their previous meeting back in February. Thankfully for Nucla, Kylie Gatlin (who had 14 points in addition to eight boards and four steals) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.